A New Start
by RS14
Summary: 17 year old Ella Ashford and 15 year old Olivia Hanna couldn't be more different if they tried. Read 'A New Start' to see what happens when Zoe and Ash marry, meaning that the two teenagers have to live together, eat in the same room as one and other and, hardest of all, share thier parents.


Ch1

(Olivia's POV)

I lay down on my bed, exhausted. Me and mum had woken up at 6 in the morning to pack up our small, modern flat to move into her husband-to-be's house. I'd left out two sets of clothes - one for that evening, and another for the next day - the wedding.

Mum and Ash had decided that they wanted an autumn wedding in that was relatively local, so had chosen a countryside venue for the wedding and had hired a local pub for the reception.

I still wasn't sure of what I thought about living with Ash and his 17 year old daughter Ella. I mean Ash is great and really nice and he makes my mum happy, but me and Ella were compete opposites; she likes shopping and parties and I'm into outdoorsy things and go to Explorer Scouts. We couldn't be more different if we tried.

Whenever our families met up, Ella wasn't usually there - Ash said she was out with her friends or still in bed - but when she was, the only time she ever spoke was to moan about being bored. She sat texting the rest of the time.

It was now half past two in the afternoon and Ash and some of his colleagues had already picked up the majority of our things. All that was left in my room was a rucksack with some toiletries and a couple of books in it along with my phone charger in case I needed it.

"Olivia! Come here a minute!" I heard mum shout, so I dragged myself off my bed and trudged into the living room.

"Yeah?" I asked, smiling and sitting down on the sofa. We'd basically emptied all the rooms apart from beds and the sofa, so it was really weird and bare.

"You know that even though I'm marrying Ash and we're moving in with him and Ella, that I still love you and care about you a lot, and I..." Mum said, taking me by surprise and bursting into tears.

"Shh... It's okay to be worried, I promise you... Ash is a good guy, and he's not going to hurt you like dad did, okay?" I tried my best to soothe my mum, not liking it as she sobbed. It soon died down and she wiped her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Liv." Mum said, grabbing her handbag and rummaging through it. "I got you something, just a little present. I know it's not your birthday for months yet but I just thought... Anyway, here." Mum passed me a small gift bag and passed me it. I opened it and pulled out the small box. A smile spread across my face as I saw what it was - a blue, 5th generation iPod touch. There was also a £50 iTunes card.

"Oh my gosh thanks!" I said excitedly, pulling mum into a tight hug. "Oh god yes!" Mum laughed at that.

"I've never seen you more excited about an electronic object before. I wasn't sure about it at first but everyone seems to have one so I thought it wasn't that big a risk."

"Its amazing, thanks!" I said, giving her another quick hug. She was right, I didn't usually use the internet or my phone very much - my phone doesn't even have internet but its sort of unnecessary - but the iPod was cool. I smiled.

"Right now, you go have a shower and then we're going out for a late lunch before my hen night, I've booked a table at that nice Italian in town."

"Awesome." I said, jogging through to my bedroom, grabbing my toilet bag and clothes and going to the bathroom. I quickly showered before stepping out of the steamy cubicle and drying myself and getting dressed into black skinny jeans and a shirt before wrapping the towel around my head and going through to mums room where the hairdryer was. I quickly blow dried my hair so it at in its usual long waves and clipped my fringe back off my face before walking back to the living room where mum was waiting.

"That was quick," she said, picking up her handbag and pulling on some heels. I grabbed my converse and pulled them on before following mum out to the car.

We were at the restaurant in five minutes, where we were taken to a nice table by the window. We ordered drinks and chatted until they arrived.

"One vanilla milkshake and one diet coke." The waiter said as he put them down in front of us. We thanked him before doing a little toast.

"To the future," Mum said.

"To the future."

Ch2

(Olivia's POV)

I woke up to someone shaking my shoulder. My eyes flew open to see my mum's work friend, Sam, leaning over me.

"Time to get up, and go for a shower. You've got fifteen minutes and then the hairdresser wants you." Sam said, standing up straight. I liked Sam – she sometimes came round for lunch with her and Tom's three year old Jamie and she's even taken me camping and climbing a few times.

"Okay," I groaned, standing up. I was just wearing pyjama shorts and an oversized t-shirt so I pulled last night's hoodie over myself to walk to the bathroom as our flat was filled with people in preparation for the wedding. I quickly showered and dressed into my new dress – the first one I'd owned since I was eight. It was different to all of the bridesmaids – Sam, Ella and my cousin Jade – dresses as I didn't want to be wearing something I wasn't comfortable with and was striped with different shades of autumn colours. I pulled on black tights and a black belt along with a black leather jacket before going through to the living room where all of the bridesmaids were sitting, with mum sitting on a chair in the middle with her sister styling her hair. Mum was drinking a coffee to try and take her out of her obviously hung over state and my 19 year old cousin Jade didn't look much better. The bridesmaids all looked so gorgeous in their mid-length white dresses with lace detailing, and I wished I could be as pretty as them.

"Right, Olivia, come here and I'll do yours." My Auntie snapped me out of my daze. I walked over and sat down awkwardly, not really knowing what to do. Thankfully, the blow drier was soon on and I didn't have to speak.

"So, I hear you're heading off to a camp in two days to the Lake District, which should be fun!" Auntie Jo said as she started to put my long hair into a fishtail braid to the side.

"Yeah. I'm the only person from my unit though, it's a little nerve wracking but I'm sure I'll find someone to talk to. I'm in a tent with another girl from England and two Australians." I said, thinking about how excited I was to be going to another camp that year.

"Wow, well I do hope you have fun." She said as she finished. I stood up and went over to the sofa, sitting in the space that Ella had just left to go and be pampered.

"Do you mind if I go into your room to change my tights? They have a ladder in them." She asked me twenty minutes later when she'd had her hair done. I nodded. "Well then can you show me?" I stood up, sighing, and walked her to my room along the corridor. I went to leave to give her some privacy but she stopped me.

"Olivia, wait. I just want to tell you to back off. Just because my dad's marrying your mum doesn't mean he's your dad now." She said cruelly.

"I don't see him as my dad, my dad lives in Michigan." I said coldly, rolling my eyes. "I think you should back off and stop being such an arse to me." I turned on my heel and left, walking away and back through to the living room where it was now Sam's turn to get her hair done. I gave mum a quick hug and told her she looked amazing, and she said that I looked lovely too; and that she couldn't believe how grown up I was getting.

"Mum, I'm only five foot one and a half... I've not really grown up since I was in year eight!" I laughed a little. Mum laughed, shaking her head as I made her another cup of strong coffee.

"I love you, you know that right?" I asked her as she finished gulping down her third coffee.

"Yes, of course, why wouldn't I? I love you too." Mum said, pulling me into a tight hug. I leant up on my tip-toes and we stayed like that for a few minutes until mum had to get her makeup done. I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. My hair looked really nice, it's natural highlights shining in the light and my skin was clear, so I just put on some concealer under my eyes, a light coating of powder foundation, nude lipstick and mascara before going through to my room and sitting on my bed. I pulled out my iPod and put in my headphones to listen to music for a while until I had to go. I smiled to myself. I knew I was going to have a great day, despite Ella being a little annoying.


End file.
